Automatic dispensing nozzle



Dec. 27, 1966 c, c, POYNTER 3,294,128

AUTOMATIC DISPENSING NOZZLE Filed May 18, 1964 10 H IZ I N VEN TOR.

ATTORNEYS CORBIN C. POYNTER United States Patent 3,294,128 AUTOMATICDISPENSING NOZZLE Corbin C. Poynter, Downers Grove, Ill., assignor toDover Corporation, Cincinnati, Ohio, a corporation of Delaware Filed May18, 1964, Ser. No. 368,097 12 Claims. (Cl. 141-209) This inventionrelates to improved means for auto matically shutting off a dispensingnozzle or the like upon the occurrence of a sensed condition.

It is well known that automatic shutoff nozzles have been provided forgasoline pumps and the like wherein an actuating lever for opening andclosing the nozzle can be latched in its open position and whereinsuitable mechanism is provided for releasing the actuating lever so thesame can automatically move to its OFF position when the gasoline tankof the automobile or the like has been substantially completely filledwithout requiring the gasoline operator to shut off such nozzle.

According to the teachings of this invention, improved means areprovided for automatically releasing the actuating lever from itslatched open position so that the same can automatically move to itsclosed position upon the sensing of a condition, such as the sensing ofa filled gasoline tank or the like.

More specifically, this invention relates to an improved latching meanswhich will unlatch a plunger that is operatively interconnected to theactuating lever when a filled condition is sensed so that the plungerwill automatically release the actuating lever from its latched openposition.

Therefore, it is an object of this invention to provide improved meansfor automatically shutting off a nozzle 01' the like when a certaincondition exists, the invention having one or more of the novel featuresset forth above or hereinafter shown or described.

Other objects, uses and advantages of this invention are apparent from areading of this description which proceeds with reference to theaccompanying drawings forming a part thereof and wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary, partially cross-sectioned, side view of theimproved automatic shutoff nozzle of this invention.

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged, fragmentary, cross-sectional view of theimproved parts of this invention.

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged, fragmentary, cross-sectional view of thelatching member of this invention in its latching positioning.

FIGURE 4 is an exploded perspective view of the various operating partsof this invention.

While the various features of this invention are hereinafter describedand illustrated as being particularly adaptable for controllinganautomatic shutoff nozzle or the like, it is to be understood that thevarious features of this invention can be utilized singly or in anycombination thereof to provide control means for other devices asdesired.

Therefore this invention is not to be limited to only the embodimentsillustrated in the drawings, because the drawings are merely utilized toillustrate one of the wide variety of uses of this invention.

Referring now to FIGURE 1, the improved automatic shutoff nozzle of thisinvention is generally indicated by the reference numeral and comprisesa housing means 11 having an inlet chamber 12 adapted to beinterconnected to a source of fluid or the like at the end 13 thereof.The housing 11 includes a spout portion 14 adapted to be received in aconventional vehicular gasoline tank fill pipe or the like and remaintherein merely by the interlocking relation between the spout and fillpipe.

A valve seat 15 separates the inlet chamber 12 from the interior 16 ofthe spout 14 and is opened and closed by a valve member 17 normallyurged to the closed position by a compression spring 18.

A shaft 19 is carried by the housing 11 and has one end 20 engageablewith the valve member 17 and another end thereof 21 projecting from thehousing 11.

An axially movable link 22 extends from the housing 11 connected toplunger 45 and pivotally carries one end 23 of an actuating lever 24 bymeans of a pivot pin 25. The actuating lever 24 is normally urged to thefull line position illustrated in FIGURE 1 by a compression spring 26whereby the shaft 19 is adapted to be disposed in the positionillustrated in FIGURE 1 by the force of the compression spring 18 sothat the valve member 17 closes off the inlet chamber 12 from the nozzlechamber 16.

However, when the actuating lever 24 is moved from the full lineposition illustrated in FIGURE 1 to the dotted position illustrated inFIGURE 1, the end 23 of the lever 24 abuts against the shaft 19 andmoves the same upwardly to open the valve member 17 whereby fuel fromthe inlet chamber 12 thereof can flow through the opened valve seat 15to the spout 14 and be dispensed out of the opened end 27 thereof.

In order to hold the actuating lever 24 in its valve opening position asillustrated in dotted lines in FIGURE 1, a latching member 28 ispivotally carried by the housing 11 by a pivot pin means 29, thelatching member 23 normally being urged to the full line positionillustrated in FIGURE 1 by suitable spring means (not shown) butbeingadapted to be moved to the dotted position illustrated in FIGURE 1and receive the right end 30 of the lever 24 in a notch 31 thereof tohold the lever 24 in its valve opening position as illustrated in dottedlines in FIGURE 1.

Thus, the actuating lever 24 will remain in the latched dotted positionillustrated in FIGURE 1 by means of the latch member 28 until the latchmember 28 is either manually released from the lever 24 or the lever 24is automatically released from the latch member 28 in a mannerhereinafter described.

Accordingly, it can be seen that when the actuating lever 24 is disposedin the dotted position illustrated in FIG- URE 1, fuel is adapted tofiow through the automatic shutoff nozzle 10 of this invention to bedispensed out of the end 27 thereof.

As illustrated in FIGURES l and 2, the housing 11 has a chamber 32formed therein and defined in part by a flexible diaphragm 33 normallyheld in the position illustrated in FIGURE 2 by a compression spring 34,the compression spring 34 having one end 35 bearing against the cap 74and the other end 36 thereof bearing against a cup-shaped retainer 37fastened to the diaphragm 33 by a threaded fastening member 38 having anenlarged head 39 on one end thereof and a threaded shank portion 40received in a threaded bore of a retainer 41 disposed on the other sideof the diaphragm 33.

The chamber 32 is interconnected to the outlet side of the valve seat 15by a passage means 42 and to a conduit 43 by an open end means 44, theconduit 43 extending down the nozzle 14 and terminating in such open endmeans short of the end 27 thereof but closely adjacent thereto.

Thus, as the fuel flows through the opened valve member 17 of the nozzle10 of this invention, the same creates a suction at the end of thepassage 42 to tend to draw air out of the chamber 32. However, since theend 44 of the conduit 43 is uncovered, air is permitted to travel up theconduit 43 into the chamber 32 in a continuous 3 manner whereby thediaphragm 33 remains in the position illustrated in FIGURE 2.

However, when the gas tank fill pipe receiving the spout portion 14 ofthe shutoff valve 14 of this invention begins to fill up to such a levelthat the liquid level covers the end 44 of the conduit 43, no more aircan be sucked into the chamber 32 from the conduit 43 whereby a vacuumcondition is created in the chamber 32 and draws the diaphragm 33upwardly for a purpose hereinafter described. I

An axially movable plunger 45 is carried by the housing 11 and has oneend 46 thereof received in a slot 47 of the axially movable link 22. Theplunger 45 has an outwardly directed annular flange 48 at the other end49 thereof, the flange 48 normally being urged upwardly against aplate-like member 50 carried by the housing 11 by a compression spring51 having one end 52 bearing against the' fiange 43 and the other end 53thereof bearing against the housing 11.

As shown in FIGURES 2, 3, and 4 the end 49 of the plunger 45 forms ahead which projects upwardly through an opening 54 in the plate-likemember 50 and has a beveled or shouldered under surface 55 utilized fora purpose hereinafter described. The end 49 of the plunger 45 also hasan opposed beveled camming surface 56 for a purpose hereinafterdescribed.

A slidable latching member 57 is provided and has a pair of outwardlydirected ears 58 adapted to be disposed between ears 59 on the plate 50,the ears 59 being adapted to be folded over the latching member 57 inthe manner illustrated in FIGURES 2 and 3 so as to guide slidingmovement of the latching member 57 for a purpose hereinafter described.

The latching member 57 has a circular opening 60 passing therethroughand adapted to receive the end 49 of the plunger 45, the latching member57 also having an upwardly directed tongue 61 for a purpose now to bedescribed.

An L-shaped lever 62 of bell-crank form is provided and is adapted tohave its elbow 63 pivotally mounted to upwardly extending tangs 64 ofthe plate-like member 50 by a pivot pin 65 in the manner illustrated inFIG- URE 2. The one arm 66 of the L-shaped member 62 has a cutout orslot 67 provided therein to receive the retainer extension 41 of thediaphragm 43. This extension 41 having an annular groove 68 providedtherein and adapted to receive the edge means 69 of the arm 66 of theL-shaped member 62 whereby the L-shaped member 62 is operativelyinterconnected to the diaphragm 33.

Theo other arm 70 of the L-shaped member 62 comprises a pair ofdepending tangs 71 each having a slot 72 in the free end thereof toreceive the tongue 61 of the latching member 57 whereby the latchingmember 57 is operatively interconnected to the L-shaped member 62.

When the nozzle structure of this invention is disposed in the positionillustrated in FIGURE 2, it can be seen that the force of thecompression spring 34 tends to move the diaphragm 33 downwardly andpivot the L- shaped member 62 in a counterclockwise direction wherebythe arm means 70 thereof tends to slide the latching member 57 to theright in the drawing.

However, rightward movement of the latching member 57 under the force ofthe compression spring 34 is limited by the edge means 73 of the opening60 of the latching member 57 being drawn against the beveled surface 55of the end 49 of the plunger 45.

Thus, the nozzle structure 10 remains in the position illustrated inFIGURES 1 and 2 until the same is operated in a manner now to bedescribed.

When it is desired to fill a gasoline tank of an automobile or the like,the operator takes the nozzle structure 10 and inserts the spout portion14 thereof in the filler pipe of the automobile. Thereafter, theoperator pulls upwardly on the actuating lever 24 from the full lineposition illustrated in FIGURE 1 to the dotted line position illustratedin FIGURE 1 to open the valve member 17 thereof. The operator thenlatches the actuating lever 24 in the dotted position by means of thelatch member 28 whereby the assembly remains in the dotted positionillustrated in FIGURE 1 until the gasoline tank is filled in a mannerhereinafter described.

As previously stated, when the lever 24 is moved from the full lineposition illustrated in FIGURE 1 to the dotted line position illustratedin FIGURE 1, the plunger 45 cannot move downwardly under the force ofthe compression spring 18 because the latching member 57 is hooked underthe beveled surface 55 of the plunger 45 and prevents downward axialmovement thereof. The right end 30 of the lever 24 is held up by thelatch member 28.

Thus the opened valve member 17 permits fuel to How into the gasolinetank and the vacuum condition created at the end of the passage means 42is relieved by the end 44 of the conduit 43 whereby the diaphragm 33remains in the position illustrated in FIGURE 2.

However, when the gasoline tank begins to fill up and the liquid levelthereof covers the open end 44 of the conduit 43, no air can now enterthe chamber 32 of the nozzle structure 10 from the conduit 43 to replacethe air being sucked therefrom by the vacuum condition being created atthe end of the passage means 42 whereby the diaphragm 33 is drawnupwardly in opposition to the force of the compression spring 34.

This upward movement of the diaphragm 33 causes clockwise pivoting ofthe L-shaped lever 62 whereby the arm means 70 thereof slides thelatching member from the position illustrated in FIGURE 2 to the leftuntil the opening 60 thereof clears the beveled surface 55 of the end 49of the plunger 45 and permits the plunger 45 to be snapped downwardlythrough the alined openings 60 and 54 of the latching member 57 andplate-like means 50 by the force of the compressed spring 26 to draw thelink 22 downwardly whereby the end 30 of the actuating lever 24 iskicked upwardly to permit the latching member 28 to swing outwardly toits full line position under the biasing means whereby the compressionspring 18 closes the valve member 17 against the valve seat 15 toterminate the flow of gasoline through the nozzle structure 10.

With the termination of gasoline flow through the nozzle 10 a vacuumcondition will no longer be created at the end of the passage means 42and the chamber 32 returns to normal atmospheric condition by means ofthe passage means 42 whereby the compression spring 34 returns thediaphragm 33 back to the position illustrated in FIGURE 2, the force ofthe compression spring 51 also returns the plunger 45 back to theposition illustrated in FIGURE 2 whereby the beveled surface 56 of end49 can cam the latching member 57 so that the same will clear theopening 60 thereof and be relatched thereby and the lever 24 is returnedto the full line position shown in FIGURE 1.

Therefore, it can be seen that the slidable latching member 57 of thisinvention operates in a unique manner to permit automatic shutoff of thenozzle 10 when a filled condition is sensed by the nozzle 10.

Further, it can be seen that the parts of this invention are relativelysimple and inexpensive to manufacture and readily permit themselves tobe assembled together in a unique and economical manner to provide animproved automatic shutoff nozzle or the like.

While the form of the invention now preferred has been disclosed asrequired by the statutes, other forms may be used, all coming within thescope of the claims which follow.

What is claimed is:

1. In an automatic shutoff dispensing nozzle or the like including ahousing having an actuating lever for opening and closing said nozzleand having diaphragm sensing means for automatically closing said nozzlewhen a filled condition is sensed thereby, the improvement comprising anelongate axially reciprocable member carried by said housing, meansoperatively interconnecting one end of said member to said lever, alatch member supported for reciprocal sliding movement transversely ofsaid elongate member adjacent to the other end of the latter forengaging and latching said elongate member in one position relative tosaid housing, interengaging means between said other end of saidelongate member and said latch member for effecting said latching of theelongate member in said one position, means tending to move saidelongate member axially to another position to release said lever fromits nozzle opening position, means operatively interconnected betweensaid diaphragm sensing means and said latch member to slide said latchmember to its unlatching position when a filled condition is sensedwhereby said elongate member can be moved to said another position,means acting to return said elongate member to said one positionthereof, and means acting to reversely slide said latch member andeffect re-interengagement of said other end of the elongate member withsaid latch member by the return movement of said elongate member to thesaid one position.

2. In an automatic shutoff nozzle as set forth in claim 1, said meansoperatively interconnected between said sensing means and said latchmember comprising a pivotally mounted lever.

3. In an automatic shutoif nozzle as set forth in claim 1, said latchmember having an opening therein receiving said elongate member to latchsaid elongate member in said one position thereof.

4. The invention according to claim 1, wherein said interengaging meansbetween said other end of said elongate member and said latch platemember includes a head on said other end having a shoulderedundersurface, and an opening in said latch plate member through whichsaid head extends with said shouldered undersurface engaging an edge ofthe opening.

5. The invention according to claim 1, wherein said interengaging meansbetween said other end of said elongate member and said latch platemember includes a head on said other end having a shoulderedundersurface, an opening in said latch plate member through which saidhead extends with said shouldered undersurface engaging an edge of theopening, spring means urging return of said elongate member to said oneaxial position, and camming means forming a part of said head of saidelongate member for passage through said opening and engagement withsaid edge of said opening upon return movement of said elongate membertoward said one axial position to slide said latch member to a positionfacilitating re-engagement of said shoulder with said edge of saidopening.

6. In an automatic shutoff dispensing nozzle or the like including ahousing having an actuating lever for opening and closing said nozzleand having a flexible diaphragm sensing means for automatically closingsaid nozzle when a filled condition is sensed by said means, theimprovement comprising an axially movable elongate member carried bysaid housing and having one end thereof operatively interconnected withsaid lever, a latch plate member slidable transversely of andinterlocking with said elongate member adjacent to the opposite end ofthe latter for securing the elongate member in one axial positionrelative to said housing, spring means tending to reversely move saidelongate member to another axial position to release said lever from itsnozzle opening position, and 5 pivotally mounted lever means ofbell-crank form operatively interconnected between said diaphragmsensing means and said latch plate member to slide said latch platemember to its unlocking position when a filled condition is sensed bythe sensing means whereby said elongate member can move to said otheraxial position thereof.

7. In an automatic shutoff nozzle as set forth in claim 6, saidinterlocking of the latch plate member with said elongate memberembodies an opening in the latch plate member receiving said elongatemember to latch the latter in said one position thereof.

8. In an automatic shutoff nozzle as set forth in claim 7, said elongatemember having an annular groove receiving the peripheral edge of saidopening whereby said elongate member is latched in said one positionthereof.

9. In an automatic shutoff nozzle or the like having an actuating leverfor opening and closing said nozzle and having a flexible diaphragm forautomatically closing said nozzle when said diaphragm is moved from oneposition thereof to another position thereof, the improvement comprisingan axially movable plunger carried by said housing and having one endthereof operatively interconnected to said lever, slidable latchingmeans for latching said plunger in one axial position relative to saidhousing, spring means tending to move said plunger to 30 another axialposition to release said lever from its nozzle opening position, and anL-shaped member having one arm thereof interconnected to said diaphragmand having the other arm thereof interconnected to said latching means,said L-shapecl member being pivotally mounted at the elbow thereofwhereby said L-shaped member slides said latching means to itsunlatching position when said diaphragm moves to said other positionthereof.

10. In an automatic shutoff nozzle as set forth in claim 9, saidlatching means having an outwardly directed tongue and said other arm ofsaid L-shaped member having slot means therein receiving said tongue.

11. In an automatic shutoff nozzle as set forth in claim 9, saiddiaphragm having an extension provided with an annular groove and saidone arm of said L-shaped member having edge means received in saidgroove.

12. In an automatic shutoff nozzle as set forth in claim 9, a plate-likemember carried by said nozzle and guiding sliding movement of saidlatching means.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,725,826 8/ 1929Payne 141209 2,343,903 3/ 1944 Hammand 141209 2,354,209 7/1944 Hammand141-209 2,827,929 3/1958 McCarty 141209 2,882,939 4/1959 Dixon 1412093,216,465 11/1965 Boone et al 141-209 SAMUEL ROTHBERG, Primary Examiner.

LAVERNE D. GEIGER, Examiner.

H. BELL, Assistant Examiner.

1. IN AN AUTOMATIC SHUTOFF DISPENSING NOZZLE OR THE LIKE INCLUDING AHOUSING HAVING AN ACTUATING LEVER FOR OPENING AND CLOSING SAID NOZZLEAND HAVING DIAPHRAGM SENSING MEANS FOR AUTOMATICALLY CLOSING SAID NOZZLEWHEN A FILLED CONDITION IS SENSED THEREBY, THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING ANELONGATE AXIALLY RECIPROCABLE MEMBER CARRIED BY SAID HOUSING, MEANSOPERATIVELY INTERCONNECTING ONE END OF SAID MEMBER TO SAID LEVER, ALATCH MEMBER SUPPORTED FOR RECIPROCAL SLIDING MOVEMENT TRANSVERSELY OFSAID ELONGATE MEMBER ADJACENT TO THE OTHER END OF THE LATTER FORENGAGING AND LATCHING SAID ELONGATE MEMBER AND SAID SITION RELATIVE TOSAID HOUSING, INTERENGAGING MEANS BETWEEN SAID OTHER END OF SAIDELONGATE MEMBER AND SAID LATCH MEMBER FOR EFFECTING SAID LATCHING OF THEELONGATE MEMBER IN SAID ONE POSITION, MEANS TENDING TO MOVE SAIDELONGATE MEMBER AXIALLY TO ANOTHER POSITION TO RELEASE SAID LEVER FROMITS NOZZLE OPENING POSITION, MEANS OPERATIVELY INTERCONNECTED BETWEENSAID DIAPHRAGM SENSING MEANS AND SAID LATCH MEMBER TO SLIDE SAID LATCHMEMBER TO ITS UNLATCHING POSITION WHEN A FILLED CONDITION IS SENSEDWHEREBY SAID ELONGATE MEMBER CAN BE MOVED TO SAID ANOTHER POSITION,MEANS ACTING TO RETURN SAID ELONGATE MEMBER TO SAID ONE POSITIONTHEREOF, AND MEANS ACTING TO REVERSELY SLIDE SAID LATCH MEMBER ANDEFFECT RE-INTERENGAGEMENT OF SAID OTHER END OF THE ELONGATE MEMBER WITHSAID LATCH MEMBER BY THE RETURN MOVEMENT OF SAID ELONGATE MEMBER TO THESAID ONE POSITION.